DIXFIELD — Although enrollment has dropped by nearly 100 students in  Western Foothills Regional School Unit 10 this fall, some classes are larger than desired.

To remedy that, the school board voted unanimously Monday to use some of the federal money for education jobs to reinstate two positions, as well as some funds from Title 2.

The board approved using about $80,000 to transfer two educational technicians, who are certified teachers, to the positions. Lisa Drapeau will become a grade 6 teacher at Mountain Valley Middle School. Melissa Aylward will become a grade 6 teacher at Dirigo Middle School.

With Title 2 funding, Libby Irish was reassigned as a kindergarten teacher at Dirigo Elementary School.

Superintendent Tom Ward said the three positions could again be eliminated at the end of the current school year.

The only openings remaining are the three educational technician positions formerly held by the women receiving the new assignments.

Ward said the student population of 2,814, excluding prekindergarteners, was lower than he had anticipated. Enrollment last June was 2,906.

He said enrollment is expected to drop again next year when another large Mountain Valley High School class graduates.

Experiencing the largest drop in enrollment this year was Mountain Valley High School, which has 443 students, down from 508 last September. Other schools experiencing a 5 percent or more drop are Meroby Elementary School, from 302 to 286; Rumford Elementary School from 287 to 267; and Dirigo Middle school from 237 to 226.

Gaining students are Dirigo High School, from 314 to 335 and Mountain Valley Middle School from 286 to 304 students.

The board adopted a schedule for the three high school graduations. Mountain Valley High School will graduate on Thursday evening, June 2.

Principal Matt Gilbert said he had met with seniors and class advisers prior to making the proposal.

He said prior to the merger of the former Rumford School Department and the former SAD 43, Rumford High School seniors graduated on Thursdays. Also, he said moving graduation to a Thursday will allow Class B sports championship matches to not compete with graduation.

Ward said he wanted to avoid having two graduations on one night. Buckfield High School students traditionally graduate on Saturday, and will continue under the new plan. The date is June 4. Dirigo High School students traditionally graduate on Friday night, and will also continue to do so. This year it will be on June 3.

The board will also begin holding twice-monthly meetings on a rotating basis among schools and the Central Office, beginning on Sept. 27. That meeting will be held in the library of Mountain Valley High School.

Ward said the decision to move the meetings to different locations is an effort to be more visible in the broad region. Such a move also more conveniently allows community members to attend a board meeting in their home area, he said.

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